Jinni
by suzie2b
Summary: Staying overnight in a bombed out village turns into a haunting experience.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Jinni**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The corporal looked up from his paperwork when Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully entered the tent. "What can I do for you?"**

 **Troy said, "We're here to be pick up a courier. Charley Pettigrew."**

" **Captain Mason had her locked in the guardhouse."**

 **Tully frowned angrily. "What! Why?"**

 **The corporal replied, "For her own safety. There's a hundred and fifty men in this company who haven't even seen a woman in months. We don't even have any nurses here … just medics. After the incident…"**

" **What incident?"**

 **The corporal swallowed nervously at the look on the private's face and said, "The captain thought she'd be safer locked up."**

 **Tully growled, "Where's the guardhouse?"**

" **Go out the door and turn left. You'll find it on the other side of camp."**

 **Without another word Tully turned and walked out of the tent as Troy said, "Hitch, go with him. We'll meet you at the jeeps. Moffitt and I are going to have a little talk with the corporal here about the 'incident'."**

 **Hitch and Tully quickly found the guardhouse and went inside. There were three locked rooms and a private manning a desk. Tully glared at the soldier and asked, "Where's Charley Pettigrew?"**

 **The private said, "You the guys from Ras Tanura?"**

" **Yeah." Tully pointed at the doors. "Now which one is she in?"**

 **The private stood up and led them to one of the doors. He unlocked it, then went back to his desk.**

 **Tully pulled the door open and saw his wife laying on one of three cots in the room. She was curled up tightly with her arms wrapped around her knees and appeared to be asleep. He could see that the sleeve of her blouse was torn and there was a scratch on her arm. Tully knelt next to her and brushed some hair off her cheek to reveal a bruise. He quietly said, "Charley. Sweetheart. Wake up now."**

 **Charley opened her eyes slowly and looked at her husband. Tears sprang into her eyes as she moved into his arms. Tully wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.**

 **After a minute Charley settled down and Tully pushed her back to look at her. In addition to the torn sleeve the front of her blouse had been ripped open. "What happened?"**

 **Charley wiped her face with her hands. "We ran into a German patrol on the way here and my driver was shot in the back. Gary was dead by the time I got us here."**

" **Yeah, that's why we're here to pick you up."**

" **Well, after I delivered the package to Captain Mason, I was escorted to a tent to wait while he found someone to drive me back to base. I was there reading when two guys stepped inside … and stood there staring at me. I asked them what they wanted…" Charley let out a sob. "And they attacked me."**

 **Hitch was standing in the doorway speechless, but obviously very angry. Tully checked the scratch on her arm, then took his jacket off and helped Charley into it as he asked, "Are you okay? They didn't…"**

 **Charley shook her head. "They didn't get that far. Some guys heard me scream and came to my rescue. Captain Mason decided I'd be safer here waiting for my ride."**

 **Tully put his arm around Charley and gently brought her to her feet as he stood up. He buttoned the jacket as he said, "You're sure you're all right? Maybe we should go to medical before we leave."**

 **Charley shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just take me home."**

 **Hitch led the way back to the jeeps, glaring warnings at anyone who even glanced their way.**

 **When they arrived, Troy and Moffitt were waiting. Seeing the state that Charley was in made their frowns deepen and Troy said, "The corporal told us what happened. The two men that attacked you are being held for court-martial."**

 **Hitch said angrily, "That's not good enough! Tully and I should…"**

 **Moffitt cut him off, "That wouldn't change anything and would only get you both in trouble."**

 **Troy sighed. "All right, we'd better get going. We're not going to make it back to base before dark as it is, but I want to get as far away from here as we can."**

 **############################**

 **As the sun began to disappear on the horizon, the two jeeps pulled into a bombed out village to spend the night. They took what was needed for the night inside one of the intact homes.**

 **Hitch started a fire in the fireplace while Charley started to put together what she needed to make dinner. He said quietly, "Why don't you let me do that?"**

 **Charley smiled. "Thanks, but I'd just like to stay busy for now."**

" **Okay, but if you need anything, give me a holler."**

 **Troy said, "Hitch, Tully, go out and take a look around. Make sure we're alone here."**

 **The privates took their machine guns and flashlights out to do a tour of the village. They checked each building, ruined or not, as they went. They shone the lights into every corner and Hitch said, "It's always a little strange checking bombed out places like this, but at night it's downright creepy."**

 **Tully nodded. "I keep thinking I see movement out of the corner of my eye, but when I turn there's nothing there."**

 **They were inside what must have been a café when they thought they heard music. Hitch whispered, "You hear that?"**

 **Tully said just as quietly, "Sounded like a piano."**

 **They heard it again and cautiously followed the sound into an adjacent room. In one corner stood an old, dust covered and broken upright piano. Curious, Hitch and Tully walked over to check it out.**

 **Hitch wiped his fingers through the dust and grime on the cracked top. "This couldn't have been what we heard."**

 **As they started to look around again, a single note came from the instrument and they both jumped. Flashlights were quickly turned back onto the piano. After a moment, Hitch and Tully watched as one key started moving up and down until it made a sound.**

 **Tully swallowed nervously and said, "Hitch, maybe we should get outta here now."**

" **Yeah, I think you're right."**

 **They went outside and had started down the street again when Tully saw someone look at them from around a pile of rubble. He shined the beam of light in that direction and said, "Did you see that?"**

 **Hitch said, "No, what was it?"**

" **A person looked out from behind that pile over there."**

 **Hitch followed Tully to check it out, but when they got to the rubble there was no one there. Hitch said, "We would've seen someone running away. I think your eyes are playing tricks on you."**

 **Tully frowned as he looked around. "Yeah, you're probably right."**

 **They walked into the last house and looked around. Finding nothing, Tully leaned back against a stone hearth and said, "Smells like dinner's about ready. Let's head back." He pushed himself away from the wall and a stone fell behind him. Tully turned and shined his light on the hearth. "Hey, look at this."**

 **Hitch joined him. "What is it?"**

 **Tully removed several other loose stones. "It's a hole." With his flashlight he looked inside, then reached in to bring out a small silver box and handed it to Hitch. "Just a sec. There's something else." Tully reached in again and brought out a rolled piece of parchment that appeared quite old.**

 **Hitch tried to open the box and said, "It's sealed shut. What's that?"**

 **Tully shrugged as he untied the string that held the parchment and unrolled it carefully. "It's written in Arabic."**

" **Let's take these back and show Moffitt. I bet he'd know what they are."**

 **############################**

 **By the time they'd all finished eating and had cleaned up, Moffitt had read through the parchment … several times. "Well, it's dated a few years before the war started and according to what's written here that box holds some ashes of a jinni."**

 **Charley sat down next to him and picked up the silver box. She turned it over in her hands. "There's an inscription on the bottom. It says '** أبديلكادير بيته جني' **, it means 'Jinni Abd-El-Kader'."**

" **It says here that Abd-El-Kader was possessed by a member of the jinn. When the jinni refused to relinquish its hold over the man, he was drugged, trapping the jinni inside him, then burned alive. A portion of the ashes are sealed in this silver box and the rest were scattered on the wind. As long as that box stays sealed, the jinni can never return as anything more than a lifeless spirit."**

 **Charley set the box down and moved to sit with Tully. He put his arm around her. "Hitch and I heard a broken down piano play and I swear I saw someone watchin' us, but when we checked there was no one there."**

 **Hitch smiled. "Maybe it's the ghost of that jinni."**

 **Charley said, "Maybe you guys should put all this back where you got it from."**

" **You don't believe in ghosts, do you?"**

" **Well, I do believe there's an afterlife. And if there's a spirit attached to that box, I don't want to take it home with us."**

 **Tully admitted, "I, for one, believe there are ghosts in the desert. I've seen them, late at night while on guard duty."**

 **Hitch started to make a comment, but Troy interrupted with, "All right, enough with the ghost stories. Tully, you're on first watch. Hitch, you're up next."**

 **Tully kissed Charley on top of the head and stood up. "I'll be back in a couple hours."**

 **############################**

 **As Charley slept, she started to dream about what had happened to her in that camp. As she twitched and made soft noises, a wisp of white smoke floated through the wall next to her. It hovered above Charley as if watching her. Then a hand shaped bit of it reached down to touch the bruise on her cheek.**

 **Tully walked in at that moment and stopped in his tracks, not believing what he was seeing. A face formed in the smoke and looked at him angrily. Suddenly, a glass chimney from an old lantern flew across the room and crashed into Tully's head.**

 **The noise woke everyone and when Charley opened her eyes she was looking up at a face floating within the smoke. She screamed and it disappeared.**

 **Tully was at her side in a second as Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch jumped up and reached for their guns. Tully helped Charley to sit up. "Are you okay?"**

 **Charley nodded, her eyes wide. "What was that?"**

 **Tully turned to the others and said, "You all did see that, didn't you?"**

 **Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch each nodded. Hitch pointed to the chimneyless lantern that was now lit and said, "I checked that when we got here. There wasn't a hint of fuel in it."**

 **As they watched, the flame guttered and went out. They all looked at each other as they tried to make sense of what had happened.**

 **Charley saw a small cut on the side of Tully's head and said with a shaky voice, "We'd better clean that up."**

 **Troy said, "Hitch, go get a med kit."**

 **They built up the fire and Charley huddled in Tully's arms. Hitch stood just outside the door on watch.**

 **Since no one was ready to go back to sleep, Moffitt brewed up tea and coffee. "It would appear that there's a ghost here after all."**

 **Charley said, "Do you think its Jinni Abd-El-Kader?"**

 **Moffitt smiled. "Could be."**

 **Tully said, "When I walked in it was touching Charley's face where that bruise is."**

 **Charley put her hand to her cheek. "I didn't feel a thing."**

" **Then it looked at me with anger I don't think I've ever seen the likes of before. Then that chimney smashed into my head."**

 **Troy said half-kiddingly, "Maybe it thought you were the one who bruised her up."**

 **Moffitt said, "You know, that is a possibility. Whether it was the spirit of Jinni Abd-El-Kader or someone else, it would seem it might have been wanting to protect her. Or perhaps take revenge on whoever hurt her."**

 **Charley said, "Now that I think about it … it didn't look at me with anger. It was more of a … a look of concern."**

 **############################**

 **It was near dawn and Moffitt was outside on watch. Everyone else was dozing. A wispy bit of white smoke came in through the ceiling. It floated over to where Charley and Tully were leaning against the wall and each other. It hovered in front of Charley and the face appeared in the smoke. Its lips moved, but there was no apparent sound.**

 **Charley heard a voice and opened her eyes to see the smoky face just inches from hers. Her eyes were wide as a wispy hand came out of the smoke and brushed her cheek as another pointed at Tully. A distinctly male voice whispered, "Did he do this?"**

 **Charley's heart was thundering in her chest as she said quietly, "No."**

" **Then which one?"**

 **At the sound of Charley's voice Tully opened his eyes. He didn't move as he watched the mouth form words he couldn't hear. Then Charley said, "These are my friends. They wouldn't hurt me."**

" **Who harmed you?"**

 **Troy woke up and shook Hitch awake. They both sat up to watch what was going on. Moffitt stuck his head in when he heard Charley say, "Two men attacked me at an army camp."**

 **The wispy hand again indicated Tully. "This is a special one?"**

 **Charley said, "Yes. We're very much in love."**

" **Tell him I am sorry I harmed him."**

" **I will."**

 **The voice whispered, "Please put me back."**

 **Charley said, "Back where they found you?"**

 **The head nodded. "Yes."**

" **I promise."**

" **Thank you."**

 **And then the smoke rose, leaving the way it had come.**

 **Tully blinked and asked, "What was that about?"**

 **Charley took a shaky breath and said, "Didn't you hear him?"**

" **No, only you."**

 **Realizing that the whispering voice she'd heard had been in her head, Charley said, "He wanted to know who hurt me and he was sorry he hurt you. And he wants to be put back where you and Hitch found him."**

 **############################**

 **When it was light enough out, Troy, Moffitt, and Charley went with Hitch and Tully to the house they'd found the box and parchment in. Tully placed both items back inside the wall just as he'd found them. Then replaced the stones to close the hole.**

 **They returned and packed up the jeeps. Hitch asked, "What are you going to say in the report?"**

 **Troy replied, "The truth. We picked up Charley, stayed overnight in a bombed out village, and returned to base in the morning."**

 **Moffitt said, "I'm sure there will be a bit more detail than that." He looked at Charley. "I'm afraid we'll have to report that attack on you."**

 **Charley nodded. "I'm going to have to write it up in mine too."**

 **Tully said, "But we're not going to mention ghosts … right?"**

 **Troy grinned. "I don't think we need to do that."**

 **Moffitt nodded with a smile. "I think it would be wise to leave Jinni Abd-El-Kader in peace."**


End file.
